The Colbert Effect and Troop Morale

By The Editors

June 12, 2009 9:37 pm

Operation Iraqi Stephen – Fallback Position – Air Force Thunderbirds

www.colbertnation.com

This week, Stephen Colbert took his show, “The Colbert Report,” to Baghdad as part of a U.S.O. tour. Sending entertainers to perform for the troops overseas has been a long-time American tradition.

Maintaining good troop morale is essential to a successful military mission. What does it take to do that, especially in the face of multiple deployments?

We asked current and former servicemembers, a historian and the spouse of an Army officer for their thoughts.

Jim Murphy and Bill Murphy Jr., former servicemembers
Mark Hertling, U.S. Army major general
Melissa Seligman, author
Richard H. Kohn, professor of history

We also invited several comedians — Gary Brightwell, Keith Alberstadt, Sarah Tiana, Dave Mishevitz, Tom Foss, Leighann Lord — who have toured with Comics on Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to tell us what they learned and the jokes that brought down the barracks.

Build Morale Back Home

Jim Murphy and Bill Murphy Jr. are fellows with the Truman National Security Project. Jim Murphy, a Marine Corps officer in Iraq in 2003, works for Activision Blizzard, a videogame publisher. His brother, Bill Murphy Jr., was an officer in the Army Reserves and is the author of “In a Time of War,” about West Point’s class of 2002.

It was a great gesture of solidarity for Stephen Colbert to get his head shaved during his televised U.S.O. morale-building tour in Iraq. But there was another moment that was more motivating.

In one of his monologues, Mr. Colbert casually used the all-purpose Army slang, “hooah.” His audience did what soldiers do in that situation: they called it back to him, loud and proud, several hundred men and women in uniform shouting a single, slurred syllable: “HOOOAAAAHHH!”

Mr. Colbert seemed startled, and his reaction symbolized the barrier between military and civilian society, which is part of what he went over to address in the first place.

By getting American civilians to notice and care about the war again, Colbert motivated the soldiers we still have on the ground.

The U.S.O. is a fantastic organization with a storied history, but Mr. Colbert’s effort this week stood apart, because it was as much about boosting the morale of civilians back home as it was about boosting the morale of the troops. Getting American civilians to notice and care about the war again can’t help but have an impact on the motivation of the 130,000 or so soldiers we still have on the ground. Not to get all Matthew-Broderick-in-“Election” here, but there is an important difference between morale and motivation.

If you’ve ever been on a large U.S. base in Iraq and seen eight kinds of ice cream in the dining hall: that’s for morale. If you see a platoon of dirty, tired, proud soldiers or Marines returning together from a successful mission: that’s motivation. Motivation is basic, it’s a soldier or Marine’s knowledge that they’re doing an important job and doing it well.

Were Mr. Colbert’s jokes all hilarious? Well, the troops laughed politely at military themed jokes they’d heard variations of before, perhaps understanding that for Mr. Colbert’s character and his civilian audience, they were brand-new. We’re reminded of some Army specialists and Marine lance corporals we’ve known whose keen observations and acute sense of irony could put most Hollywood comedians to shame.

But what Mr. Colbert did was important. He tried to affect civilian morale, and he did it in an honest way that the troops themselves could see. And that’s pretty motivating.

It’s All About Trust

Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling has served in the United States Army for 34 years. Most recently, he commanded the First Armored Division in Germany, and from October 2007 to December 2008, he commanded Task Force Iron — a force of 30,000 servicemen and women — in northern Iraq.

How do I keep up troop morale?

All commanders are responsible for the morale of their soldiers, and they execute this in a variety of ways. Commanders must ensure that their troops are properly trained and disciplined, and they must provide rewards and ensure that spouses and family members are cared for while their soldiers are deployed.

Commanders also need to ensure that their soldiers have access to things like appropriate food, adequate quarters, clean hygiene facilities, mail delivery (including phone and Internet access), and rest. But there’s much, much more.

When a commander is present during the toughest of times, morale is high.

When a commander is present during the toughest of times; when soldiers know their leaders won’t ask them to do anything they won’t do themselves; when “the brass” live in the same conditions their soldiers do; when those in authority dole out fair discipline and at the same time appropriately reward those who have gone the extra mile, morale is high.

When soldiers know their leaders are agonizing over battle plans, working and reworking them and then rehearsing them with the appropriate rigor until risks are mitigated and dangers are brought to the lowest levels; when a commander is out in the scorching heat or the torrential rain or the extreme cold with their soldiers; when a leader shares a meal, a wet bunker and a dark night, talking with the troops, spending time with them, morale is high. When there is trust between the leader and the led, morale is high.

U.S.O. shows raise morale, and so do the occasional steak dinners in the field, care packages from home or a great handwritten letter. (And by the way, handwritten letters are always better than an e-mail because you can carry it around and read it over and over; plus it holds perfume much better than an e-mail.)

While all those things are great, I believe the best way to keep up morale is to do the very best I can — as a leader — to ensure soldiers know they are taken care of, that they are part of a high-performing team that we have built together, and that they know they can trust me to do my very best to bring them home to their loved ones.

Remember the Families Left Behind

Melissa Seligman is the author of “The Day After He Left for Iraq” and the host of “Her War,” a podcast for military wives.

Walking through the airport, hand in hand with my husband, an Army officer dressed in his battle fatigues, I can’t help but notice the stares, the curious looks and the sympathy of strangers. Within each person’s eyes, I see the desire to help. To fix him. To wipe the tears from my children’s eyes and to show support and compassion. People stop him, wanting to shake his hand. “Thank you,” they say, over and over again, unable to say more.

What more can be said? The hole in his heart will continue to grow with each deployment. That can’t be helped. But it is possible to ease his pain.

What Soldiers Need to Hear

Richard H. Kohn is professor of history and peace, war, and defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A former president of the Society for Military History, he is co-editor of “Soldiers and Civilians: The Civil-Military Gap and American National Security.”

During the American war for independence, the drill master Friedrich von Steuben complained that American soldiers had to have the war explained in order to motivate them. That was one reason why Abraham Lincoln spoke frequently to Union soldiers eighty-some years later, and why at the beginning of World War II, George C. Marshall asked the famed movie director Frank Capra to produce training films for the troops, which resulted in the now-iconic series “Why We Fight.”

Those armies were composed overwhelmingly of recruits or draftees who served only for the war: “citizen-soldiers.” Today’s military is peopled by much more highly trained men and women who think of themselves not only as citizens but as professionals even though many will serve only one “hitch.” They are led by much more professional officers and above all by skilled, experienced, long-service non-commissioned officers who are in many respects the backbone of the armed forces.

A Little Escapism

Gary Brightwell, a stand-up comedian, is a writer for the television show “Country Fried Home Videos” on CMT.

The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan were probably the best audiences I have had. I can’t count how many times a soldier would tell me and the other comedians how much they liked having a two-hour escape from the daily pressures of fighting these wars. What did the troops find funny? They liked jokes about things that were part of their daily experience, like:

I would like to thank the Army Corps of Engineers for the thermostat in our tent that regulates the temperature. It has two settings… HANG MEAT… and BAKE A CAKE!

And those waste-cleaning trucks:

I love the “crap” trucks that come by everyday to clean the Port-A-Potties… You get all excited when they come around, don’t you? They are like the ice cream truck back home. In fact, they should play a jingle like an ice cream truck — that way you would know the toilets were clean. You would hear that jingle and say, “Hey the crap truck is here! New blue juice! HOORAH!

Ah, Those Frequent Flyer Miles

Keith Alberstadt has been seen on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and is a contributing writer for both “Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

My three tours provided a wonderful opportunity not only to give back to our bravest, but to also get behind the news and be a part of their lives. Not to mention rack up some serious airline miles!

Most material about the war zone was better received if it was lighthearted rather than political or bitter. For example, “I didn’t know this until I visited the Marines there, but Djibouti Africa is only 6 miles away…from the sun.”

I often heard that they love us coming over because they sometimes feel forgotten, that many back home have moved on to other things. Or something like that; I was too busy Tweeting about American Idol and fantasy golf. I’m kidding, of course, but sometimes troops expressed a concern that the mundane narcissism of our society was forcing them to the back burner.

Their morale always seemed to be up when I was there. Whenever they want me back, I’ll go. Especially since I need another 3,000 Delta miles for a free bag of pretzels.

‘You Smell Like My Wife’

Sarah Tiana is in the movie “Comics On Duty” a documentary about the experience of four comedians in Iraq. She also plays “Carmen” on Reno 911.

I wrote jokes for every base that we visited, which was always easy because we took a tour of each base right after we landed. Correction, right after we ate. We ate before we left a base and right when we landed at the next base. Sometimes we would eat eight times a day! I probably gained 10 pounds in three weeks.

I wrote a lot of military jokes before and during my trip. But it was never the focus of my act. Those guys don’t want to think about their situation any more than we do. It’s like any job. You don’t want to be reminded of work.

For them, I represented home and companionship. I reminded them of their wives, but not in a take out the trash and do the dishes kind of way. Those flack jackets and helmets did nothing for my appearance, so I always brought a change of clothes, high heels, a portable curling iron and tons of perfume with me. I never got tired of hearing, “you smell just like my wife.” The single guys said, “will you marry me?” I don’t know. Is that an order?

The Absurd

Dave Mishevitz directs a sketch comedy show with The Strait Jacket Society and is a regular at The Comedy Store.

The troops are in a state of Groundhog Day. So when a new face appears to break up the monotony it’s exciting. We comedians get to point out the absurdity of what they see everyday, and it relates instantly. The comedy doesn’t have to come from the experience of cockpits, mess halls and mortars though. Funny is funny, unless you’re ordered to laugh.

I always asked if there were National Guard soldiers in the audience. After their hoots and claps and whistles I’d say, “‘How’s your weekend?’ You can always tell who’s in the Guard. They walk around base staring at their watch, muttering ‘It’s got to be Monday by now!'”

The different branches, though sharing in the true spirit of brotherhood, can be readily identified by their barks. “Hoo-Ah!” is the Army’s answer for everything. They take it too far, literally having ‘Hoo-Ah’ candy bars and “moist” wipes. You Hungry? Hoo-Ah. Want a candy bar? Hoo-Ah. Going to the latrine? Take a Hoo-ah.

‘Just Like Home!’

Tom Foss is a comedian who has traveled to 18 countries to entertain the troops, including four tours of Iraq and three of Afghanistan.

As a comedian I use my freedom of speech to make a living, so it’s an honor to entertain the troops. I get my biggest laugh when I tell them they make me feel like I am back at home in West Virginia. They have me staying in a trailer, I am working in a tent, its hot out and the Christmas lights are still up. Just like home!

I never go overseas with the idea that I am going to tell the troops what they are doing or what I would do if I were them. I try to bring them home for a couple of hours. I mostly tell Wal-Mart and Nascar jokes and let their minds get away from the stress of war. It’s always hard to leave when the tours are over. But I still keep in touch with many of these great troops I’ve met on my tours. Entertaining them is the best thing that I can do with the skills I have.

Taking the Heat

Leighann Lord has appeared on Comedy Central, HBO and The View. She writes a weekly humor column, “Leighann Lord’s Comic Perspective.”

My family was very concerned about me performing in a war zone, but I figured as a married woman, I could handle it. I traveled with Armed Forces Entertainment in June 2002 during Operation Enduring Freedom to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The soldiers were great audiences. Not having a lot of first hand exposure to the military actually worked in my favor. Observations about their everyday environment got the biggest laughs:

The flies here are huge! They don’t land on you. They bump into you. I thought I’d be safe if I put on some Avon Skin-So-Soft, but apparently they like to eat that.

And:

I got up this morning and it was 130 degrees. I felt my contact lenses melt into the back of my head. I saw that 90 percent of my brain I’m not using.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

George M June 13, 2009 · 1:50 am

Many thanks to those who have self-less-ly given of themselves to provide some relief to the men and women serving our Nation in some of the more stressful assignments overseas. As noted by the Murphys-two, who accurately pointed out the difference between morale and movtivation, it was their Honesty above all, that shone through.

Funnily enough, none of the contributors even suggested the notion of Sniper Fire!

S/F George W. Murray LtCol USMC(ret)

Clifford Decker June 13, 2009 · 2:37 am

The Major General who has served for 34 years knows what morale is and how best to keep morale up.

He is a leader. He extolls leading by example by spending time with the troops and suffering what they suffer. He also has the flexibility that is necessary to ensure good discipline will limit grousing and maintain senses of fairness.

His advice is full of practical common sense, yet of a kind that still assures that unit cohesion and discipline are all important without which either a unit is just a collection of bodies that is useless for military missions.

Donald Surr June 13, 2009 · 5:13 am

Richard Kohn writes: “Yet morale still rests to some degree on soldiers’ sense that America’s goals are praiseworthy. ”

Unfortunately with regard to our current colonial adventures in the Middle East and other parts of Asia, that assurance cannot be offered truthfully.

William Anderson June 13, 2009 · 9:27 am

I enjoyed reading the various perspectives on troop morale. As a US Navy sailor deployed to Djibouti, Africa, I’d concur with all. We’re fortunate here in Djibouti to not be taking mortar fire or facing the front line dangers like our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and Iraq but even here, when the USO comics or celebrities comes, it’s a great thing for the troops. Recently Cal Penn, Christian Slater, Zac Levi and Joel Moore visited for a hand-shaking tour. As simple as that sounds, people here loved it. Also, when I was stationed in Guam, John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) came with the USO and performed on base – absolutely fantastic! Thanks to all of those that support the US troops and who realize that these are just men and women doing their job. Most of us believe that we are serving to protect the freedoms that our friends, families and fellow Americans enjoy. And that is our honor.

Christopher Knopf June 13, 2009 · 9:32 am

Not enough praise can be given these entertainers who give their time and talent to enter a danger zone and give the troops a few hours of respite. For me it was over sixty years ago. But I can still recall the thrill of seeing Jane Russel come on stage.

Retired teacher June 13, 2009 · 10:02 am

What Stephen Colbert did was to simultaneously boost morale of troops while raising awareness among his audience at home that the Iraq war is not over just because we don’t hear much about it on the news anymore.

Baghdad, Iraq June 13, 2009 · 10:23 am

Thanks, Mr. Surr, for reminding us that there also not-at-all-famous Americans who don’t care a bit, and Americans who neither support nor respect the troops.

David June 13, 2009 · 10:43 am

Yes, morale is often a difficult issue for occupying armies. But if our brave embedded comedians stick to avoiding the issues, all will be well. No truer words in the above article than the comment “Those guys don’t want to think about their situation any more than we do.”

Kate Moxie June 13, 2009 · 11:19 am

Boosting morale isn’t just for the war zone. Our military members need to know that ALL of us respect and appreciate the job they are doing and/or have done. Quilts of Valor is a national volunteer organization striving to cover each of our service members with a quilt of gratitude and love. They are currently at Camp LeJeune to present quilts to the Marines of 3/8 upon their return from Afghanistan: //quiltsofvalor.wordpress.com/ We haven’t singled out one branch of service before, but now expect to do so each year, in addition to providing quilts to service members across the country. For more information: //www.qovf.org or //www.qovf-um.org.

sb June 13, 2009 · 11:44 am

After reading Melissa Seligmans piece, all I can say is damn you bush/cheney/rummy….

This invasion/occupation was so unnecessary.

Thank you for your service, your husbands service and bless you and your family and we all pray with you for his safe and healthy return into your family’s arms again to stay.

I also think of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving proudly and their partners back home who suffer the same loneliness and loss. Yet can not speak of their feelings lest they get thrown out of the military and serving a country they love too.

Norman June 13, 2009 · 11:54 am

Thanks to Richard Kohn for reminding me of Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight.” It told us what it was like to live under a dictatorship.

Under a dictatorship, you can’t travel without showing your identification to the police at checkpoints.

The elections are rigged, and are stolen from the candidates with the most votes.

If you complain about the government, you can be fired or jailed.

You can be arrested, tortured, and kept in prison indefinitely merely on suspicion, without charges or having a right to defend yourself.

It’s a good thing we won the war!

Lynn N June 13, 2009 · 12:09 pm

How did the families of the one million+ Iraqs who have died since 2003 enjoy the show !!!!

charlie June 13, 2009 · 12:53 pm

I am the only one in the United States who thinks that supporting the troops is supporting the logic of war, a way of dealing with international issues that reeks of the 20th century? What I mean is that last century, Europe learned that war mongering is not a way to build a civil, respectful and ethical society, and while they have moved on to lead the world economically and politically, we have fallen behind. For more on this, read James Sheehan’s excellent book, “Where Have all the Soldiers Gone?”

I shudder to think of all the things the U.S. could offer its citizens if it wasn’t spending 600+ billion a year supporting its Empire.

DC June 13, 2009 · 1:12 pm

Donald Surr, please look up “colonialism” in the dictionary.

We in the the process of pulling OUT of Iraq, not shipping settlers there. And last time I checked, we pay for the oil we get from the Middle East, as opposed to just taking it, as a “colonial” power would do.

RLJ June 13, 2009 · 1:16 pm

No comment, just a question. I’ve seen several articles in The Times touting Stephen Colbert’s tour. It’s even been written that the benefit of the tour is as much to remind Americans that we still have a war going on as well as to entertain the troop. Not once have I been able to discern when the ahow airs in the US.

Someone, please tell me: When does this show air?

Maryanne Conheim June 13, 2009 · 1:25 pm

I think it’s great that so many of you folks, including Stephen Colbert, are concerned about the morale of our troops. It is right to be concerned about these brave men and women. I wonder, though, if anybody is concerned about the morale of the Iraqi people after seven years of US invasion, occupation and civil war? Who is helping them to see the humor in being bombed back to the Stone Age because of nonexistent WMDs, tortured in prisons like Abu Ghraib, occupied by a foreign power in search of cheap oil, and torn apart by rival warlords?

Walter Haan June 13, 2009 · 1:53 pm

You want to keep troop morale up? Institute a draft and fairly include all levels of society including both sexes in it. Don’t allow special people such as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to either opt out or be citizen soldiers on weekends back home. Include everyone from 18 to 26 years of age in the draft, don’t allow people to opt out by serving as teachers or students or Peace Corps Volunteers. When everyone in the military sees that corporate executives’ children and the offspring of government officials are serving right beside them, when they have college graduates in the ranks shoulder to shoulder with them, then morale will be higher and the responsibilities of defending this country will be spread equally. War is cruelty. Not having a draft to include the sons and daughters of all classes in our military is cruelty too. It means that it is only our poor who serve in the military and wind up in Afghanistan or Iraq or both. Not only unfair, it is cruel to a targeted segment of our population. And if corporate executives’ children are serving in the military, you can bet their parents will pay a lot more attention to what we are doing militarily around the world. I am a former Peace Corps Volunteer AND former US Army draftee who was discharged a sergeant E-5. –Walter Haan, //war-books.blogspot.com

Chris Waage June 13, 2009 · 1:55 pm

To the brothers Murphy:
The troops politely tolerated Mr. Colbert’s jokes for us numb civilians? Perhaps they actually enjoyed the break from being shot at and didn’t even consider that we would be analyzing it in the NY Times.

Robert June 13, 2009 · 2:01 pm

Unfortunately with regard to our current colonial adventures in the Middle East and other parts of Asia, that assurance cannot be offered truthfully.
— Donald Surr

Seriously, Don. Look up the definition of “colonial.” I agree with your suggestion that our motives in Iraq are less than noble, but disagree with your implication that this reflects poorly on the troops.

Regardless, you just sound like the protest anything crowd marching in Union Square when you toss out non–sequiters like “colonial.”

Fountain of Information June 13, 2009 · 2:36 pm

@RLJ

You can watch the Colber Report at //www.hulu.com/the-colbert-report

It generally airs on Comedy Central at 11:30 EST, M-Th

mwoman June 13, 2009 · 2:45 pm

Absolutely wonderful that these people entertain the troops! They too are serving the country by doing this…in their own way.

Charles Musante June 13, 2009 · 2:54 pm

Being one of the Soldiers who had the opportunity to see these shows live — I can say that for the better part of four hours, we were able to laugh and enjoy a few minutes away from whatever our mission may be here. What viewers in the states did not see were the Q and A sessions before the show, Soldiers singing the National Anthem with Mr. Colbert, the crew and Soldiers working together to make this event happen.

Too rarely do we get an opportunity to “step outside” of our daily world missions and get a feeling of normalcy — to do something that we would do back home. That is what this event did.

At the end of the fourth show — we sang the Army Song — as it resonated throughout the Al Faw palace, I had a sense of pride — but I could tell on the faces of the crew and Mr. Colbert that they truly appreciated having this opportunity as much as we did.

Most days we can see the pundit news shows in the dining hall with the war of words between this pundit and that newscaster about the future direction of our country. The only thought that comes to my head is when have any of these talking heads come here to see the ground truth, talk to troops, or have any of these people even served in the Military and had to make the same sacrifices that we have. The future leaders of the US will come from these servicemembers and they will have a common bond forged by the blood shed, tears cried and laughs shared in this experience.

No matter what your politics or where you stand on this situation — we volunteered, we left our families and we are here, living, working, fighting and unfortunately some are dying — there should be no shame in people wanting to come here to share some laughs or spread awareness of all the sacrifices of all the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Civilians who are here carrying out our mission.

— Bagdhad, Iraq

Terry Kindlon June 13, 2009 · 2:57 pm

Stephen Colbert has done a wonderful thing. He’s provided a few moments of top level entertainment for the men and women serving our country in a war zone and, simultaneously, he’s reminded all the rest of us that those men and women are there, far from their homes and loved ones, doing the lonely, boring, and frequently dangerous work we’ve asked them to do on behalf of our country.

We can, and must, have honest debates about the wisdom of the Iraq war but it is critically important to avoid confusing our politics with the intrinsic value of our soldiers’ service. (I was a USMC infantry Sergeant in Vietnam and one of the good things that’s different about Iraq/Afghanistan experience is that we can simultaneously condemn the incredible stupidity of the wars while honoring the soldiers and Marines who’ve been sent to fight them).

Well done, Mr. Colbert, you’ve distinguished yourself. Terry Kindlon

mwoman June 13, 2009 · 2:59 pm

Funnily enough, none of the contributors even suggested the notion of Sniper Fire!

S/F George W. Murray LtCol USMC(ret)
— George M
=================

What do that mean? Is sniper fire common in war?

Don’t ask. Don’t smell. June 13, 2009 · 3:19 pm

To the not-so-modern Major General, on the idea of written letters being able to be perfume scented, please remember you have both women and gays in your forces too.

In both cases the scent of perfume might cause some problems.

Previous Post

Hate Crimes and Extremist Politics
Next Post

How Much Student Debt Is Too Much?

The New York Times

Room for Debate | The Colbert Effect and Troop Morale